Before Life Got In The Way
by Caz Malfoy
Summary: Assassin Ianto: At the end of the universe Jack bumps into someone familiar...


**Title: **Before Life Got In The Way  
**Fandom: **Torchwood  
**Pairing: **Jack/Ianto  
**Rating: **FRM  
**Warning: **Reference to MPreg  
**Summary: **At the end of the universe Jack bumps into someone familiar..._  
_**Spoilers: **Utopia (DW 3x11)  
**Author's note: **Set in my assassin Ianto universe.

Thanks to teachwriteslash for betaing. This is what happens when you midread something!

x

The Doctor and Jack ran into the control room of the Silo. Jack's mind was racing a mile-a-minute. The Doctor wanted him to trip the system so they could get the ship running again. The Time Lord seemed oblivious to how much pain Jack actually felt when he came back from the dead.

"Lieutenant, get onboard that rocket!" the Doctor cried happily, running up to the door of the radiation room and peering inside. "I promise you're going to fly," he added, not looking back over his shoulder.

Jack was too busy taking his great coat off to realise that the Lieutenant didn't move from his position.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir," he said. "The chamber's flooded."

Suddenly Jack paused, instantly recognising the Lieutenant's voice. "Ianto?" he practically whispered in disbelief.

The other man slowly turned around to face Jack and a smile spread across his face. "It's good to see you again, Jack," he stated softly, conscious of the Doctor watching him with a thoughtful expression.

Jack took two steps closer to Ianto, before crushing their mouths together. Ianto, for his part, tried to keep the kiss as chaste as possible, but it had been so long since he had seen the other Time Agent; he couldn't help responding to the passion that always sparked between them.

The need to breathe eventually became too strong and Jack was forced to pull away from Ianto; even though every fibre of his being was calling him a fool and telling him to keep going.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked, his chest heaving as he tried to regain his breath.

There was a cough from behind them before Ianto could reply and Jack was suddenly reminded that the Doctor was still with him.

"Oh," he murmured, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Ianto, this is the Doctor. Doctor this is Ianto Jones, my…" he hesitated, unsure of what to introduce the other man as.

"He's my partner," Ianto explained, holding his hand out to the Doctor.

The Time Lord forced a smile and shook Ianto's hand. The younger man let out a startled sound when the Doctor tugged him closer, pushing his sleeve back to reveal his Vortex Manipulator.

"A fellow Time Agent," he stated, glancing at Jack.

Jack nodded his head. "We were at the agency together," he admitted. "Ianto," he continued, turning back to his lover, "what are you doing here? Tell me you haven't left the team alone."

Ianto raised his hand and pressed a finger to Jack's lips, silencing his worried questions. "I haven't come from Cardiff," he responded softly.

Jack's forehead furrowed in confusion, "But…"

A large bang from behind them made all three jump and the Doctor sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Right, enough of the chit chat," he ordered. "There'll be plenty of time to talk later. We need to get this ship going."

Both Jack and Ianto nodded their heads in agreement. Ianto watched with detached amusement as Jack shrugged out of his braces and peeled his shirt off.

"What are you doing?" the Doctor asked, turning away from fiddling with a control when he noticed Jack's actions.

"I'm going in," Jack stated, flashing Ianto a proud grin before darting for the door.

"From what I can tell, the radiation doesn't effect clothing; only flesh," the Doctor spluttered, staring at Jack in disbelief.

Jack grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, but I look good though."

Ianto made a noise in the back of his throat that could be passed as an agreement before moving closer to the door. "I'm coming with you," he stated.

The Captain's eyes widened and his jaw fell open. "No you're not! Ianto, that chamber is filled with radiation. If you go in there, you'll die," he reminded the former assassin.

"No, he won't," the Doctor stated evenly.

Both men turned to face him; Jack wearing a look of confusion and Ianto looking at the Doctor knowingly. Of course the Time Lord would have known instantly.

"He's not the Ianto Jones you think he is, Jack," the Doctor added, never taking his eyes off Ianto. "Are you, Mr Jones?"

Ianto shook his head. "That radiation can't kill me, Jack," he assured the Captain, just as a loud bang sounded from somewhere in the ship. "But maybe explanations are best left for later?" he suggested, pushing the door open and entering the chamber.

Jack's mind was reeling. He had absolutely no idea what was happening, or what Ianto and the Doctor were talking about. He wanted to stay and demand further answers, but his common sense overrode his own desires and he made to head into the chamber.

At the door he paused and glanced back at the Doctor. "How long have you known?" he asked softly.

"About you or Mr Jones?" the Doctor answered with his own question.

"Both," Jack countered.

"I've known about Mr Jones, since we arrived here," the Doctor indicated to the control room around them. "And you…" He hesitated and heaved a sigh, "Ever since I ran away from you. Good luck."

x

Ianto looked up from the couplings when he heard the door slide closed behind him.

"It really is good to see you again, Jack," he murmured, his eyes roaming down Jack's body appreciatively, drinking in the sight like a thirsty man finding a well in the desert.

He wanted to address him as 'Will', but with the Doctor so close and still able to hear what they were saying through the speakers, he didn't want to risk it.

Jack looked at Ianto in confusion as he moved to one side of the central unit and began his task; Ianto was doing the same at the other end. "You said that before," he pointed out. "I thought it was because it's been so long since I left, but that's not what you meant is it?"

Ianto shook his head. "It's been longer than a few weeks since I last saw you," he whispered; his voice almost intelligible over the clanking of the ship around them.

"How long?" Jack pressed.

Before Ianto could respond, the Doctor's voice spoke through the speakers. "Spoilers!"

Ianto rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Did you really think I'd come here without thinking about something like that?" The Doctor didn't answer and Ianto continued, "Everything will work out fine, trust me."

When the Time Lord remained silent, Ianto finally answered Jack's question, "A hundred years."

Jack's eyes bulged and he stared at Ianto. "A hundred years?" he repeated. His lack of concentration hindered his task for a moment before he managed to get back on track. "How is that even possible? You were mortal when I left."

Ianto smiled faintly. "After you get back something happens to me and I become like you," he admitted, trying to not focus on the member of what his older brother had done to Jack.

"Like me?" Jack whispered. "Oh god, Ianto, I…"

Ianto silenced him with a glare in a way that only Ianto Jones knew how to do. "Don't apologise to me, Will Kanaris," he hissed through his teeth, his voice too quiet for the Doctor to hear. "We'll have that discussion plenty of times in the future. I am not about to have it at the end of the universe as well."

"We're both immortal and we will deal with that, just not right now," he added, finishing the next coupling.

"Speaking of," the Doctor's voice said through the speakers, making them jump; both had forgotten he was still listening. "When did you realise?" he asked. "Jack not you, Mr Jones. I would like to remain spoiler free as little as possible, if you please."

Ianto smiled encouragingly at Jack and listened as he told his tale to the Doctor about how he became immortal.

"Earth, 1892. Got in a fight in Ellis Island. A man shot me through the heart. Then I woke up. Thought it was kinda strange," Jack smirked. "But then it never stopped. Fell of a cliff, trampled by horses, World War I, World War II, poison, starvation, a stray javelin…" Jack listed, trying to sound as though he was ease with his inability to die; only Ianto who knew him better than that could tell.

"In the end, I got the message. I'm the man that can never die. And all that time you knew," there was an accusatory note in Jack's voice as he stared at the Doctor through the small window in the door.

The Doctor ran his hand over the back of his neck. "That's why I left you behind," he confessed. "It's not easy even just… just looking at you, Jack. 'Cause you're wrong."

Ianto bristled at the Doctor's words and it took all of his self control not to lash out at the Doctor. The words he had just spoken would wreak havoc with Jack's confidence in later years, and he hated the Time Lord for putting those thoughts into the Captain's head in the first place.

x

When the ship was ready to go, Ianto pulled Jack back a little, stopping him from following the Doctor.

"Can you give us a minute, Doctor?" he asked, looking at the Time Lord meaningfully, hoping he would understand what he was about to do.

The Doctor remained silent, staring at Ianto before nodding his head. "I'll be outside," he agreed. "You have two minutes," he informed the pair, quickly ducking around the corner to wait.

"Ianto…" Jack murmured, turning to face the assassin.

Ianto raised his hand, pressing a finger to Jack's lips gently. "I need you to something for me, Will," he whispered.

"Anything," Jack swore quickly.

He watched as Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny bag, containing one white tablet.

"No," Jack shook his head, falling back a step and staring at Ianto in horror. "No!"

Ianto sighed and lowered his hand, the tablet clutched in his palm. "I'm sorry, Will," he murmured. "You have to."

"Why?" Jack demanded, glaring at the other man. "Why should I wipe my memory?"

The assassin rolled his eyes. "Because I'm immortal," he stated. "The Doctor was right when he said I'm not the Ianto Jones you left behind in the twenty first century. I came here from the forty-third century to see you, because I've missed you."

Jack started at Ianto in disbelief. "You came all the way here because you missed me?" he repeated incredulously. "I don't believe that for a second," Jack scoffed with a shake of his head.

Ianto sighed and ran a hand through his hair, considering how much he should tell Jack; he should have known that the Captain would demand him to explain further.

"In the future – where I came from," he eventually spoke, "we've been apart for so long. I… Something Gwyn said made me miss you even more."

"Gwyn?" Jack asked in confusion.

Ianto smiled affectionately and reached up, running a hand through Jack's hair; amazed that it was as soft as he remembered. "Our grandson," he murmured, brushing his thumb over Jacks cheekbone.

Jack's eyes bulged in surprise and his mouth fell open. "Grandson?" he repeated. "But…"

The assassin smiled and leant closer, kissing him softly. "A lot of things change when you get back from travelling, Will," he whispered, his hot breath flowing over Jack's lips.

"I needed to see you before we let everything get in the way. Before Torchwood had corrupted us too much, before we had the responsibility of being parents. Back before you even knew that I love you," Ianto smiled.

"You…?" Jack whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch.

Ianto rolled his eyes. "Of course I love you, idiot."

"How long?" Jack's blue eyes flickered open and met Ianto's. "How long have we…" Jack's throat constricted as he tried to speak the words.

Ianto, intercepting Jack's question, answered before he had even managed to fully speak the question. "Officially we haven't been together for over fifteen centuries."

Even though his heart broke at the assassin's words, Jack raised an eyebrow. "Officially?" he questioned.

Ianto smirked and kissed Jack hotly. "There have been a few instances of post-break up sex," he admitted with a sly look.

"Oh, really?" Jack purred, placing his hands on Ianto's hips and pulling him closer.

"Captain, we need to get going!" the Doctor called through from just beyond the door.

Jack sighed and rested his forehead against Ianto's. "You're going to make me take that Retcon, aren't you?" he whispered, looking into the other man's eyes pitifully.

"I'm sorry," Ianto said regretfully. "But you have to. If you remember we even had this conversation, it could put time lines in jeopardy. You know we have children, grandchildren; hell, even that I love you."

"You can't go back to the twenty first century knowing that. If you do, none of what I just told you will happen."

"Timelines," Jack whispered, screwing his eyes closed. "I hate bloody timelines," he muttered darkly, reaching out his hand and taking the Retcon pill from where it was still resting in the palm of Ianto's hand.

"If I take this I'll fall asleep," Jack stated, looking up from the pill to Ianto's face. "I can't afford to do that; there's too much that needs to be done."

Ianto shook his head, smiling softly. "The formula for B67 has changed a bit since you created it, Will," he pointed out. "There's no sedative in it now."

Jack smiled and hesitated before he threw the tablet into his mouth. "For our family, right?"

The other man smiled and ran his hand down Jack's cheek, trying to focus on the feel of Jack's skin beneath his palm; he didn't know how long it would be before they were together again.

"I love you, Will," Ianto whispered, knowing that the Retcon could kick in at any moment. "I know you won't remember me telling you that, but I do…" He kissed him hotly, trying to taste every inch of his mouth. "I've always loved you, Will Kanaris; ever since the moment I laid eyes on you."


End file.
